The orphanage's climate was colder. The day before Christmas, the matron had to open her door to an unexpected guest. The old wizard, with his grandpa's aura, personally brought back the orphan to his home. Mikhael was free of his murder charges. Still, the ministry suspected him for the death of Aurors who never showed up after his transfer to the wizard prison. The victims had just disappeared after accomplishing their duty. They traveled forth, but came never back. It was more than suspicious, however jailers had confirmed that the ex-prisoner was already in his cell when the Aurors left the place.
After the headmaster's departure, the now free wizard stayed at the orphanage entrance. Memories of his first time coming here, the fear he had, the hope he lost, he contemplated them, all, one by one. The years spent in poverty, the hunger and anger after rejection, his pet, his first friend, his training, his new hope, all the memories he made in this place, all the past which was his. The orphan contemplated his life, what he achieved, what he desired, what he dreamed and wished for.
A familiar scent of lilac flowers guided his nose into the wood. Shadows greeted the ex-prisoner in front of the forest clearing. The ground was flat with no trace of any deformations. Tendrils of magic penetrated the earth. Phantom whispers echoed encouragement in his ears. He could do it. The ground vibrated, muddy bones dug up. Darkness flooded from the grave entrails. With stiff movements, the small frame advanced while shaking its tail, wetting the ground with black matter.
The orphan petted the fur-less creature. A continuous rattling sound as of hard objects striking each other replaced the expected barking. The black orbs in the creature's eye sockets dimmed. The circling movements around the master slowed down. The black substance touching the ground evaporated in the air while the creature tripped and got up, with less energy. Together, the orphan his follower visited the apple tree which protected berries bushes.
The last walk stopped at the pond border. The creature couldn't walk anymore. It only waved its tail weakly, appreciating the orphan caress. The boy embraced the magical creature in his arms, lifting it to finish the journey. The white canine skull continued to impact its teeth, watching the boy's face. There was no tongue to express its feeling. The expressionless wizard swung the weakening creature, sight becoming blurred.
Back to the clearing, the orphan deposed his charge on the ground, sitting next to it. He didn't stop, feeling its cold bones under his hand. Sloth like motion pulsed under the touch, feeble. The silence was stifling. He looked downward, all the darkness had dissipated, revealing an immobile white skeleton.
Cold hands embraced the wizard from behind. Warmth spread from his back. The smell, which led him there at the beginning, took the form of darker ruby hair covering his body from the shoulder. The girl always found the way to be there for him, always at his lowest ever since they met for the first time. The orphan stared at the stars, understanding something.
Wizards and witches roamed Knockturn Alley, even on Christmas Eve. The orphan witnessed the strange process of filling a crystal ball with bones, without damaging the animal remnant, keeping its laying posture. Runes were engraved to make the crystal ball scaled-down, at eyeball size. The two other effects engraved were self-cleaning to always keep it transparent and the last one to avoid damages, an unbreakable rune.
Mikhael visited different shops before finding a silver necklace which protected its user against poison. To test the shop manager's claim, the orphan summoned a rat he saw in the street. The client gave a poison dose to the animal wearing the necklace. The rodent trashed away before dying. It was a scam. The shop manager was sweating profusely. Transpiration pearled his forehead at the sight of hundreds of flames in his shop. The orphan obtained for free two of the necklaces real articles, tested on the shop manager firsthand.
Sitting in the Leaky Cauldron, the second year ordered a butter-beer to Tom. The older wizard didn't want to serve an alcoholic drink to a minor. Yet, the orphan tired gaze pitied the barman. The bar owner knew about the client, Rita wrote about it for weeks. The prison at such a young age was terrible, even for older wizards. Tom had seen ex-prisoners, they needed a good drink to forget their misery. The old inmate's tales were terrifying.
With a sigh, the innkeeper escorted the student outside his establishment, giving him the address of another bar in Knockturn Alley. The law was the law, there were too many clients that could report him and his bar's reputation would fall down. The orphan understood and thanks Tom. The night was still young. His face was famous, wizards walked away, witches accelerated their pace. Even free, he wasn't accept back in the wizard world.
Putting his hood back, the orphan entered the dark alley.
The cold drink didn't refresh his throat. It had a better taste at the Quidditch victory party. No questions were asked as he paid up the two sickles. He paid for two more. The quantity would add up the effect. He was thirsty. He wanted to forget, even for a while. The scarface witches offered him a Firewhisky shot, on the house she promised. She left the bottle open. The searing sensation didn't come. His throat was cold. Frost marks on his neck had the disturbing shape of an oversize hand's grabbing.
He gulped the bottle down in one go.
The Hogwarts Express' depart was a repeated experience for Mikhael. Students and their parents avoided his presence when they recognized who he was. He expected this reaction. For weeks the Daily Prophet had painted him as the disturbed orphan who cold blood killed one of his younger comrades in school.
The main reporter Rita Skeeter, had invested his past and interviewed his orphanage matron, madam Sarah Martin who didn't hide her feeling of unease and fear she felt in his presence as well as the disturbing rumor about his activities in the wood that some orphans witnessed and spread in the establishment. Long articles on dark wizard lives followed by analysis on the similarities found in this case filled pages of the newspaper.
The journalist didn't stop at that. She also kept the interview of the only orphan girl, Lucy Stewart who testified that Mikhael was an egoist person who stole years ago, her lovely brown fur dog and probably killed it the forest. The orphan girl was fearing each moment she saw him at the orphanage and thank God every day he was in his school in Scotland. Some of her friends told her they saw a hundred of animal carcass around Mikhael when they were wandering in the wood, it couldn't mean anything good. What if the deranged orphan started targeting her because of her beautiful face and perfect body, she never stayed in the same room alone with him.
Another orphan named Samael shared his dream of sitting atop a mountain composed entirely of bread. This small disillusion hid the terror that the child witnessed over the years. Mikhael had fought every other child in the establishment and village alike which brought upon them the anger of a forest spirit. The poor soul Samael couldn't sleep without making his prayer and having a cross under his bed cushion. Rita found a goldmine in the orphan's past. It allowed her to write impact-full articles on the rise of another dark lord.
In the last articles, before Mikhael's freedom, the reporter gathered information about his class performance and behavior. All described him as a lonely and violent person except for a disillusioned first year who wasn't a reliable source. What shocked Skeeter was when she uncovered the testimony of Jacob Ava, born Jacob Jones. The twin brother sorted in Griffindor revealed the terrible birth secret of the dark brother. Mikhael was born a squib. That was the headmaster Albus Dumbledore's own assertion of the boy when they were young. Jacob also described how difficult it was to live with a green jealous brother, because the latter didn't have of his own magical talent.
The second-year was finishing the last Daily Prophet with the article on the new attack and in small, his innocence, when a blond girl with a silver necklace entered the compartment. She grinned at the sight of a homemade bracelet on the orphan's wrist. The hug she started was reciprocated. Mikhael put away the newspaper and listened to the girl Christmas holiday, how she spent time at school without him, seeing her first-year friend in secret from time to time. She continued with the depressing atmosphere, at the student's death announcement. Luna's friend in first-year was close to the victim and saddened for days. No pudding could help. That was grave. Moreover, there was that irritable woman who came to interrogate the students, but kept only the part which was convenient for the Ministry for Magic.
This time, the orphan didn't need to put charms on the door to get an undisturbed trip as students ran away at his sight.
The school banquet was smaller than at the start of the school year. A half dozen of families had chosen to home school their children until the Chamber of Secret issue was resolved. The headmaster announced the presence of aurors to help the school security in this time of crisis. There was a curfew imposed after dinner, all students were expected to remain in their house common room for the rest of the school evening.
Mikhael appreciated the house-elves cooking when he received a message for him to meet the headmaster in his office after the banquet's end.
" Good evening my boy. Please sit, lemon drop ? ", the old wizard wrinkles deepened at the silent response. " My dear Mikhael, if I summon you tonight, is it because, I, failed you. I'm truly sorry for your hardship. I have no excuse for my acts. ", the headmaster didn't notice any change in the student's face. " Please forgive me, my boy. The death of a student, so young and innocent had clouded my judgment, the Board Governors and the minister pressures didn't help me. I warned you last year, you didn't listen to me, until recently... ", the blue eyes stared in the black orbs.
Unlike the passive Legilimency which didn't reveal anything from this student, the leader of light was shocked when his active mind art attack succeed. Last time he tried, a magical shield protected the mind of the student which couldn't be removed without hurting the person and by the way revealing his illegal action. Those with natural mental protection were often subject to a difficult childhood, which was plenty of the case for the second year Slytherin since the Daily Prophet articles.
The headmaster found himself in a strange world. It was cold. Nothing in view except for the ashes covered ground. This defense mechanism wasn't something he had seen before. It didn't follow the usual Occlumency scheme of creating a fort containing the memories and guarded by soldiers and maybe magical creatures. The old wizard panicked a bit when he felt his magic unable to regenerate, he had spent a certain amount to enter and cast some spell to reveal invisible structures or living being.
The amount of magic he had when he entered was slowly drained in this desolate place. Transfiguring ashes into a chair, the leader of light sat down and analyzed the situation. The place was the student's mind world and there was no structure present so Mikhael didn't receive any mind arts teaching. However, where were his memories and feelings. There was nothing here, it wasn't a normal mind. Azcaban had a disastrous consequence on this poor soul thought the leader of light.
Trying to get up and exit, the old wizard failed. The chair he made was frozen and the cold stuck him to the object. The headmaster transfigured the chair into water but the ice covering the object made it impervious to his magic. The experienced man frown. His magical reserve was half-empty, he underestimated this world absorption speed. Waving his wand, a storm of fire circled around him. It burned the chair and the ground, revealing a frozen pond.
Deep inside black orbs stared at the intruder.
" Is that all, headmaster ? ", the neutral voice awoke the old man from his torpor.
" Yes, you can return to your quarter. ", the headmaster trembled. His breath produced a white mist. The phoenix sang and burned away the frost marks on its owner. Dumbledore realized that his magic reserve was almost entirely spent. If he didn't escape in time and wait a bit more contemplating the deep water, he would have been lost and trapped with no way to return his conscious to his body.
The boy didn't kill Colin Creevey, but he was dangerous.
What should he do to ensure the security of all.
It was for the greater good.
The notice board of each house in Hogwarts shared the same message, 'Dueling Club' meeting tonight in the Great Hall. After those attacks, the insecure and curious student body were all present for the event. A golden stage had been erected replacing the four house tables. Lockhart strutted on the duel's platform, sending kisses in the air toward sixth and seventh years female students. Mikhael's sight observed the man without any emotion showing.
" Gather round ! Gather round ! Can everyone see me ? Can you all hear me ? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions, for full details, see my published works. ", the defense against the dark arts professor smiled brightly, hearing some student calling him something, an awfully brave chap. Luna whispered to her Slytherin friend that she would have preferred swimming in the lake to observe the giant squid closer.
The student crowd watched in anticipation the stage, where Professor Snape joined Lockhart.
" Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear ! ", the celebrity author didn't notice his colleague's murderous glare. Mikhael transfigured a bench from the back into an elevated platform with a sofa in which he sat down with the blond Ravenclaw.
Lockhart and Snape faced each other and bow. They turned back, walked ten paces, then turn around, wands poised like swords. The new teacher explained their posture and wand position as a combative position to the spectators. At a count of three, both waved their arms and shouted their spell. The potion master was faster with a dazzling flash of scarlet light bursting from his wand at his spell command.
The disarming charm 'Expelliarmus', blasted Lockhart off his feet and into the wall behind. Some students were worried about the celebrity 's well being. Most were girls. Lockhart rose unsteadily. " Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. As you see, I've lost my wand. Ah, thank you, Miss Granger. ", the older wizard fetched his wand not ashamed of having lost it in the first place.
The defeated man tried to excuse his defeat behind his leniency since he was a specialist who had roamed the world and didn't want to hurt an important potion teacher of the school. The farce was short-lived as both professors agreed to let students trained to block unfriendly spells. The volunteer pair chosen in the end was Potter and Malfoy since Weasley's wand was broken and dangerous for its chaotic behavior. Mikhael refused the invitation from his house head since he had a premium view on the spectacle. Some older students copied his idea and watched the match in comfortable elevated chairs.
The Slytherin and Griffindore duelists eyed each other malevolently as they took their places on stage. Grudgingly, they bowed to each other. Draco taunted Harry before they turned, walked ten paces, then whirled, wands poised. Lockhart reminded them of the rules and especially repeated that they had to disarm their opponent only. A second before three, Draco blasted a white light knocking Harry off his feet. The Slytherin students cheered up.
Standing up, the latter Griffindore retaliated with his wand pointed straight at Malfoy and shouted, 'Rictusempra!'. A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and the Slytherin doubled up in the air, wheezing, as Malfoy sank to his knees. Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and the blond boy could barely move for laughing. The defense against the dark arts professor couldn't control the duel as a long black snake slithered forth.
Snape smiled with amusement. The excuse of teacher tried to get rid of the snake, only to make it flew in the air and hissed in rage straight toward a spectator Justin Finch-Fletchley. As a student screamed, Harry oddly calm, approached the snake. It rose, fangs exposed, poised to strike the fear frozen Hufflepuff. The wizard world savior hissed something, making the snake looked into the student's green eyes before it slumped to the floor. Mikhael noted this strange sound as something the animal seemed to understand. Luna wasn't shocked, she knew something about it.
Potter blinked, grinned at the curious snake and offered his hand to Justin. The terrified student backed away. Snape vanished the snake in a puff of black smoke then regarded Harry with a look that was both shrewd and calculating. Students' faces bore shocked and glittered with fear.
As the snake speaker with his redhead friend departed, the students moved away to not get in their path. The one who could vanquish a dark lord while being a child was revered in many books, but this new trait gave him the reputation of being a dark wizard. If not, how did he accomplished his feat when he couldn't even speak.
As the student had left the club, Luna turned her head toward her thinking neighbor.
She put her hands before her mouth an started hissing.